


Another Life

by closemyeyesandleap



Category: Agents of S.H.I.E.L.D. (TV)
Genre: Emotional Hurt/Comfort, Espionage, Friendship, Gen, Inhuman Powers, Post-Season 5, Relegitimized SHIELD, TW: canonical suicidal thoughts, TW: physical child abuse, Team Moments, Trauma, Vicarious Memories, background Philinda
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2019-01-01
Updated: 2019-01-07
Packaged: 2019-10-01 16:20:44
Rating: Mature
Warnings: Graphic Depictions Of Violence
Chapters: 7
Words: 14,244
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/17247449
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/closemyeyesandleap/pseuds/closemyeyesandleap
Summary: An encounter with a panicking Inhuman causes May and Daisy to dream each other's memories, leading them to learn more about each other than they ever expected.





	1. Chapter 1

**Author's Note:**

> Subsequent chapters will include physical/verbal child abuse and some other forms of violence, but no trigger warnings for this chapter.

“You’ve got to help me, ma’am!”

Daisy and May shared a glance.

“We’re here to help. What’s going on?” Daisy asked the panicking man in front of her.

“Please! You’ve got to help me. They’re after me.”

“Calm down, please. We’re here to help, but you’ve got to tell us what is going on. Who’s after you?”

May pulled the officer who had called SHIELD aside. “Can you tell us anything about him?” she asked softly.

Officer Morales shrugged. “His name is Peter Michaelson. That’s all I’ve managed to get out of him. He came in here an hour ago, insisting that spies were out to get him. Honestly, we thought it was just another case of paranoid delusions when he started talking about black rock creeping up his body. I remembered that training SHIELD did with the precinct last month and decided that we’d better call you guys.”

May nodded and returned her gaze to the frantic man. Daisy had her hands half-raised in a nonthreatening gesture, but the man wasn’t giving her any information.

“We’re here to help, sir. I’m Daisy, Daisy Johnson. This is May. What’s your name?”

The man gave a furtive glance around the police station before answering. “Pete. You’ve got to help me, Miss Johnson, ma’am.”

“OK, Pete. We’re trying. Who is after you?”

“The CIA. They’re following me everywhere I go, putting chemicals in my food. They’re always watching!”

Daisy sighed internally but tried to keep her expression neutral and supportive. “What chemicals are they putting in your body?”

“I don’t know, but they had to have done something! I was at home, eating takeout, when this rock stuff started climbing up my body. I dunno if it was supposed to suffocate me or what but I managed to break free and ever since then they’ve been following me everywhere.”

Daisy shared another look with May.

“Please!” Pete begged. “You’ve gotta believe me.”

He grabbed both May and Daisy by the hand as he plead. “I need help, please. They’re gonna get me!”

Both women carefully extricated their hands, not wanting to spook Pete lest he unleash some power, yet no such power manifested itself.

“Pete. I believe you,” Daisy answered in the calmest voice she could muster. Maybe the CIA really wasn’t out to get him, but she had seen stranger reactions to terrigenesis. When people go through an inexplicable experience, the mind reaches for a logical explanation.

Pete’s let out a puff of air in relief. “You do? So, can you help me?” 

Daisy nodded. “Yes. Tell me more about what happened that day with the takeout. When was it?”

“About… about a month ago, I think. Maybe? I’ve lost track.”

“OK,” Daisy said soothingly. “Have you noticed anything strange about yourself since then? Any new abilities or physical changes?”

“What? Strange about _me_? I didn’t do anything! The CIA are the ones who poisoned me!”

Daisy mentally kicked herself and tried again. “I understand, Pete. This all must be very confusing for you, but I want to help you. You… you weren’t poisoned. What you went through, Pete, with the rock is called terrigenesis. It happens to a certain group of people with a certain gene. Those people are Inhumans. You might have heard about them on the news. I’m an Inhuman too.”

Pete started shaking his head vigorously. “I’m not crazy. The CIA did this to me.”

“I’m not saying you are,” Daisy insisted. 

“So can you help me?” 

Daisy glanced at May. “Yes, we can, Pete. We’re going to take you somewhere safe, and there we will be able to help figure out what happened.”

Pete nodded slowly.

“Thank you, Officer Morales,” Daisy said to the police officer as she, Pete, and May left the station. He fidgeted, looking uncomfortable. 

“Much rather you deal with this than me, ma’am.”

Pete’s breathing became increasingly shallow as they exited the police station. Daisy tried to engage Pete in conversation as they lead him to the containment module. Sure, he hadn’t yet exhibited any powers, but Daisy knew all to well how dangerous a scared and out-of-control new Inhuman could be.

Despite Daisy’s attempt at distraction, Pete stopped in his tracks as he saw the containment module.

“What’s that?” he asked, stepping away from Daisy and May, his eyes darting between the two women.

“It’s a safe mode of transportation so that we can get you some place safe quicker,” Daisy explained.

Pete shook his head, trembling. “I don’t… I don’t think I want to go in that.”

“Please, Pete, we’re just trying to—”

“You’re with them, aren’t you? You’re not trying to help me. You’re with the CIA!” Pete exclaimed, inching back. 

“No, Pete. We are here to help you. Pete, wait!”

Pete turned on his heels and dashed down the road. He ran wildly, stumbling as he tried to get away as fast as possible.

May lifted her Icer, prepared to stun the fleeing man, but Daisy stopped her.

“No,” Daisy said with a sigh. “Let him go.”

“He could be dangerous,” May warned.

Daisy nodded. “He could. But he showed no signs of powers yet, and he came to ask for help by choice. Mack doesn’t want us to use force unless absolutely necessary.” 

May sighed. “Well, that was a productive mission,” she muttered sarcastically as they prepared the containment module to return to base.

* * *

“So, he just split?” Mack asked as Daisy and May marched into the common room.

“Yep,” Daisy replied. “Not sure if he was really an Inhuman or got the idea from the descriptions of terrigenesis on the news. He didn’t display any powers, let alone any dangerous ones.”

Mack nodded. “Okay. Well, good job.”

Daisy rolled her eyes. “That’s us. Here to tackle the toughest of missions, like flying an hour away to talk to some dude for five minutes.”

Mack shrugged. “It could have been much more dangerous than it was. Anyway, grab some dinner and get to bed… we have a big project tomorrow.”

“Oh, no. Don’t say inventory,” Daisy groaned.

“Inventory it is,” Mack grinned.

* * *

May fell asleep as soon as her head touched the pillow.

_May found herself in a dark room. Her heart pounded in her chest. She didn’t understand why she felt so overwhelmed and afraid._

_She blinked, trying to get her bearings. She was in a bed, and through the darkness, she could just barely make out the outlines of other beds. She trembled, fear overtaking any sense of reason._

_May tried to get out of the bed. She hit a railing and stumbled to the floor, falling far further than she expected. She pulled herself to her feet._

_Why was she so low to the ground?_

_She tentatively stepped forward, trying not to make a sound. She didn’t know why, but she knew in her heart that she could not under any circumstances make noise._

_She reached a door, the knob high above her head. She reached up and turned it with stubby fingers._

_May inched her way out of the door and found herself in a shabby, dimly lit hallway. She understood nothing yet there was no mistaking the fear that gripped her. She felt terribly alone._

_A bright light shone at the corner of the hallway. She moved toward the light. As she rounded the corner, she found herself in a large and illogically tall kitchen. A giant of a woman loomed over her. Before she realized what she was doing she reached out her tiny arms toward the woman._

_With a swat, the woman batted her hands away. “Bad girl!” she reprimanded. May found her hand being grabbed, and before she could understand, the large woman was dragging her down the hallway, back to the abyss of the room that she had left._

_The door closed behind her with a click, and she trembled and curled up on the bed. She closed her eyes and—_

May awoke with a start and blinked several times before she made out the room in the Lighthouse she shared with Phil. He was still asleep next to her, his breath laborious but present. 

She stretched her hand out in front of her face. It was reassuringly normal-sized. _That’s odd,_ she thought as she rolled out of bed. Her dreams were usually horrific replications of Barhain that often ended in her shooting Daisy or Phil or Robin instead of the little girl, Katya. Other nights, she dreamed of missions with never-ending complications, or the Zephyr crashing with her at the helm, or—during more merciful nights—of a tiny cabin on the beach with nothing but Phil and a bed.

May had never had a dream so devoid of content and yet so vivid in emotion. Even awake, the fear and loneliness of the child she had been in the dream clung to her like a shroud. She tried to shake it off and headed to the gym, hoping to get a few rounds in with the punching bag before Daisy joined her for their renewed morning training. 

Daisy, on the other hand, awoke feeling light and happy, happier than she had felt in months if not years. She rolled over and snuggled her pillow, trying to ignore the blaring alarm that reminded her May would soon be expecting her. She squeezed her eyes shut and remembered the dream.

_She was spinning, exhilaration fused with a hint of fear running through her veins. Cold air filled her lungs as she exited the spin. Daisy heard applause and looked up to see a young man clapping and beaming proudly at her._

_Without understanding how, she knew instinctively that the clapping man was her father. Her heart leapt as she took in his proud smile, and she prepared herself for another trick. Her blades slipped on the ice, and her hip slammed into the ice._

_Pain rushed through her body. She glanced up at her father. He nodded encouragingly at her, and she pulled herself to her feet. She squeezed her hands together in determination, and she tried the trick again._

_She flung herself into the air. Daisy felt alive in a way she never quite had before. She sucked in another lungful of the crisp air and took a dramatic bow before the mostly empty stands of the ice arena._

_Her hip still aching and her pulse racing, Daisy twirled and twirled and twirled until she woke up, alone in a warm room in the Lighthouse._

Daisy yawned and stretched in the bed with a lingering smile.


	2. Chapter 2

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> During a surprise birthday party for Daisy, May has a flash of insight about the dreams.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> TW: Racism

“You look happy,” Jemma remarked as she joined Daisy in the kitchen. Her friend positively spun from the refrigerator to the shelves, looking for fruit, nuts, and yogurt to prepare her post-workout breakfast. “Somebody’s excited to turn the big 3-0 tomorrow, aren’t they?” 

Daisy stopped spinning and shrugged. “Nah. Birthdays have always been a toss up for me, and besides, this is only like the fourth year I’m actually having my birthday on the correct day.”

“Oh? So, what has you so chipper this morning?”

“Just a good dream, I guess.”

“Oh, really?” Jemma said, her lips turning up at the corners. “Do tell.”

“I dunno,” Daisy considered. “It was weird. I just dreamed that I was ice skating with my dad. Except that it wasn’t my dad at all. I mean, in the dream I just _knew_ it was my dad, but he was short and Asian. He didn’t look anything like Cal.”

“And you were happy?”

“Yeah. I’ve only been ice skating once, and I liked it, but that… that was something different.”

Daisy closed her eyes and tried to recapture the feeling of freedom and flight she had experienced during the night. When she opened them, she jumped as she saw that Fitz had joined Simmons in the kitchen.”

“I’ll- I’ll go,” Fitz stuttered. Jemma gave his hand a squeeze. Ever since they had retrieved him from space, Fitz had been struggling to make sense of the period of time that had elapsed since he had last seen the team, along with the terrible events that had transpired. Still, he and Daisy had been slowly recovering their friendship.

Daisy shook her head. “No. Stay, please.” She bit her lip and had to force her own legs not to exit the kitchen. At the same time, she was in such a good mood that she thought it might be a good opportunity to turn a new leaf. 

May entered the kitchen next, not bothering to greet any of them. 

“Are you OK?” Jemma asked.

“Fine,” May responded with averted eyes. 

Jemma raised her eyebrow at Daisy. Daisy shrugged. May had been a little quieter than usual during their morning workout, but she hadn’t thought anything of it.

“Anyway,” Jemma cut in to break the silence. “Mack said that we’re just going to be doing inventory today. Apparently we’re trying to move into the new base by the first of August.”

Daisy sighed. “Another exciting SHIELD mission: cataloguing old stuff.”

Jemma rolled her eyes. “I like organization! Besides, it will be nice to move to someplace other than this hellhole.”

Daisy gave a noncommittal shrug. “I’d rather stay, to be honest.”

At that, even May looked at Daisy in surprise.

“Seriously?” Jemma asked. “Basically only awful things happened here, to all of us.”

“Sure. But, I don’t know,” Daisy said quietly. “It’s grown on me. It’s kind of started feeling like home.” 

“That makes one of us,” May said dryly. Jemma nodded. 

“Oh well.” Daisy groaned, “Inventory it is.”

* * *

After a tedious day of organization and inventory, May went to bed early, hoping for a refreshing night sleep after her previous early morning. She drifted to sleep more quickly than normal.

_May opened her eyes to a bright room. A set of lacy curtains did nothing to stop the sunlight streaming in through a large window. Her eyes settled on the bedroom—a little girl’s, from the look of the cotton-candy pink walls, the glittery mirror, and a row of stuffed animals wearing tiny pajamas and dresses._

_Even as she adjusted to her surroundings, May felt a thrill of excitement. “It’s my birthday,” she whispered in a high-pitch voice she didn’t recognize. She didn’t know how she knew, but she did._

_She pulled her legs over the side of the bed and tugged down her nightgown—a nightgown as bright pink as the walls, with cotton fluff at the hem. She rushed to the door, excitement flooding her veins._

_She emerged into a family room with hardwood floors, a smile playing on her lips. She nearly collided with a tall woman. The woman had bottle-blonde hair tied up in a messy bun, impossibly long red fingernails, a bright green top terminating in a bare midriff, and an imperious look on her face._

_She shot a bored look down at May. “What are you sneering about?”_

_May opened her mouth to respond, but no words came out._

_“Doesn’t matter,” the woman added. “Get your bag. I can’t do this anymore.”_

_May’s mouth fell open a little wider. She didn’t understand what was happening but couldn’t deny the heartbreak that ran through her body at the words._

_“Oh, don’t look at me like that. You’ll enjoy being back with all your little friends, won’t you? Come on.”_

May awoke to find the digital clock displaying an unsatisfying 3:30 AM. 

She groaned and rolled out of bed. She had no desire to sleep anymore, but it was too early to begin training. She decided to head up to the common room and make herself some tea to begin the day.

As she walked, she puzzled over the latest dream. The birthday part made a little bit of sense, she supposed. It was the morning of Daisy’s birthday, after all. It would make sense for her to have birthdays on the brain.

But why she had dreamt that she was a small, lonely child for the second night in a row, and why those dreams had been more vivid than any she had ever experienced, save flashbacks of Bahrain—she hadn’t a clue. 

May chuckled to herself imagining what Andrew would make of them if he were there for her to recount her dreams. He would probably say that the child in the dreams represented the little girl inside her that she normally ignored or some nonsense like that.

When she got to the common room, however, she didn’t find it deserted at all. Fitz and Simmons were pouring over a recipe book. Flashes of motion resulting in banners and balloons revealed a chaotically decorating YoYo.

“Oh, thank goodness,” Simmons sighed as she saw May. “I thought you were Daisy for a second. Didn’t want to ruin the surprise.”

Oh. The surprise party. May vaguely remembered Fitzsimmons whispering about it the other day, but she was so distracted that it had completely slipped her mind.

“I mean, we didn’t want to get up in the middle of the night, but you and Daisy get up so incredibly early to train, we had to be extra-morning birds in order to intercept her. Want to help?”

“Of course. That’s–– that will mean a lot to her.”

Simmons smiled. “We hope so!” 

May prepared herself a cup of tea and joined in the preparation. Something inside pushed her to make this birthday extra special for Daisy.

* * *

Meanwhile, Daisy was asleep, but her sleep was more fitful than the night before. 

_Daisy was jogging through the dark. Cold air filled her lungs with every breath as she continued along the forest path. It was early—very early—yet she felt alive, determined, free._

_The sensation lasted only a minute before a shadow emerged from the woods and stuck out a foot to trip her. She tumbled to the ground. Three other shadows joined the first. All but one was bigger than she was, their faces covered in ski masks and their hands curled in fists._

_A boot collided with her back before she could jump to her feet. She grunted from the blows as she pulled herself from the ground. One of the shadows grabbed her from behind. She jumped and used him as leverage to kick the assailants in front of her. He released her, and she spun, knocking his feet out from under him._

_Still, the other three advanced on her, punching with a fury that she struggled to deflect._

_“You shouldn’t be here, little girl!” One of the shadows snarled as his hand collided with her gut._

_“Yeah! Get your ass back on the boat and go back to where you came from,” another yelled as he tried to grab her arm._

_She roared with anger and grabbed one assailant, using her momentum to flip him over, while kicking back at another. He tried to get up, and she kicked him, hard. He groaned and rolled out of the way of the fight._

_The other three were enraged by their fourth’s capitulation and attacked her with renewed vigor. Panting, she grabbed two of them by the hair and crashed their heads together. They collapsed on the ground. The fourth tried to run away, and he tripped._

_Rage rushing through her body, pushing away any lingering fear, Daisy bent over the four men lying on the ground._

_She pulled off their masks one by one, and though she couldn’t put exact names to the faces, she knew beyond a shadow of a doubt that she recognized them._

_“Don’t you ever try that again on anyone or I will beat you like the half-rate washed-out cadets you are,” she hissed before resuming her jog and running into the night._

Daisy’s pulse was still racing as she got out of bed, so much so that she almost forgot it was her birthday.

“I need a coffee,” she muttered, hoping that she could sneak into the kitchen and grab a cup before May expected her in the gym for sparring.

She stumbled into the common room, her eyes still blurry.

“Surprise!”

Confetti fluttered down over her head.

She blinked in confusion before her mouth spread in a smile at the sight of the team scattered around the room. Everyone was there, even Coulson, though he was so weak that he remained seated on the couch while everyone else jumped up. Daisy noticed that Fitz was lingering furthest from her in the room, close to the refrigerator. She shot him a tentative smile, and he responded in kind.

“Thanks, guys. But, um, really? At 5:00 AM?” 

“Had to catch you before you started your day for it to be a real surprise,” YoYo grinned. “And Simmons said you’ve always really liked breakfast.”

“Besides, everyone gets a day off today in your honor so there will be plenty of time to celebrate,” Mack added. 

Jemma walked up to Daisy with a tray of muffins, three candles stuck in one, and began to sing “Happy Birthday.” When the song finished, Daisy blew out the candles, blushing.

“Gosh, guys, you really didn’t have to do this.”

Mack gave her a big hug. “We know. But we wanted to.”

Daisy could feel tears filling her eyes. It still felt so weird, celebrating her birthday in July. 

This was only the second time she had ever celebrated her “proper” birthday. The first had been strange and subdued, mixed with sadness at the recent memory of the parents she had found and immediately lost. The next year, she had spent her birthday alone in a van, her arms aching with hairline fractures and her eyes drained of tears. The following year, the team had spent the summer decades and decades in the future, in a society where months and days were meaningless, and her birthday had passed by without mention or acknowledgment, even from her.

Now, they were together. Fitz was back, and Simmons’ new medical breakthroughs were keeping Coulson alive. A semblance of normalcy had returned to the team.

She blinked back her tears and beamed as the team gathered around a table to pass around eggs, waffles, muffins, bacon, and 5:00 AM mimosas. 

As she devoured her third chocolate-chip muffin and sipped her second mimosa, Daisy sighed. “This seriously has to be the best birthday I’ve ever had.”

Simmons swallowed a big bite of waffle before asking, “Really?”

Daisy shrugged. “Not that it has much competition.” She snorted. “Like one year, when I turned seven, or thought I turned seven anyway, I was living with this couple. The mom was one of those ladies who thought that fostering a little girl would be all dress-up and tea parties. She put me in this awful pink room with stupid pink PJs and would get mad every time I got a fleck of dirt on any of my clothes. So anyway, the morning of my birthday, I guess she’d finally gotten bored with me. I’d barely woken up when she was telling me to get my things because she was taking me back to St. Agnes.”

She rolled her eyes. “So really, this is a _much_ better surprise.”

Simmons smiled sadly. “I’m glad.”

May, however, grew very still. She put down her mimosa, staring at Daisy. 

“What?” Daisy asked, feeling uncomfortable.

“This woman, what did she look like?” May asked quietly.

Daisy furrowed her brow. “I just remember she had these awful red nails that reminded me of Cruella de Vil. Oh and blond hair that she swore was natural but I saw the dye in the bathroom. She looked like an evil Barbie.” Daisy shrugged, “That’s all I remember. Why?”

“Oh, just wanted a better mental image for my hit list,” May answered, her mind swirling with questions.

Could it possibly be a coincidence? She knew about Daisy’s childhood, after all. She knew that no home had ever kept her for very long. Perhaps with Daisy’s birthday right around the corner, her subconscious had pushed her into a scenario that looked and felt very similar to Daisy’s real life.

But if that were the case, why would Daisy’s story match her dream so exactly? She tried to remember an instance where Daisy had shared all of those details with her, but nothing occurred to her. How would she know what the woman looked like? Would Daisy have mentioned the ridiculous PJs or the long red nails? 

Her heart pounded. The only other option—the impossible one—was growing more and more likely as she eliminated the other explanations. Somehow, she was dreaming Daisy’s memories. 

A lump formed in her throat as she thought about the dream from the other night, the one where she understood nothing but felt only fear and loneliness. Had that been Daisy’s life as well?

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Thoughts welcome!


	3. Chapter 3

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> May and Daisy have two very different, yet both very disturbing, dreams.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> TW: Physical and verbal child abuse

That night, after a relatively relaxing day by SHIELD standards, May lay in bed, struggling to fall asleep. Phil was already lightly snoring at her side. She smiled and caressed his back with her hand, barely touching him lest he wake.

May couldn’t shake her dread as she wondered what new dreams awaited her. She knew Daisy’s childhood was unstable and lonely, but to feel it in her own body, to live bits and pieces of it during the night, was nearly unbearable. She hated to invade Daisy’s privacy, but she had no idea how to make the dreams stop.

She tossed and turned. Finally, she allowed herself to look at the clock. 2:00 AM. 

She groaned and got out of bed. After a warm shower, she climbed back into bed. 

“Y’okay?” Phil mumbled, pulling her close to him.

“I’m fine, Phil. Go back to sleep,” May muttered. He tightened his arms around her and within moments resumed his quiet snoring.

Something about Phil’s embrace and the warm water helped May drift off to sleep.

_”Tell me where it is!”_

_May’s head turned from side to side in panic. She was now in a kitchen. One overhead light was faded and blinking and another blared, giving the room an unstable feel. A woman stood leaning back on the sink, her arms crossed and her lips pursed in disapproval. A red-faced man stood in front of her, towering over her._

_She shrank back in fear._

_The man grabbed her by the arms, squeezing her until she cried out, then shook her violently before releasing her._

_“I swear, if you don’t tell me where it is––”_

_“I don’t know! I promise! I don’t know!” May begged in words that did not feel her own._

_“Liar,” he hissed. “Patricia. Go look in her room.”_

_The woman nodded and departed the kitchen._

_“That necklace is worth a hundred times more than you, you little leach,” he snarled, moving closer and closer to May until she felt her back collide with the cabinets. “So help me, if she finds it, there’s going to be hell to pay.”_

_“She won’t! I didn’t take it. I prom––”_

_His open hand slammed into the side of her face. As pain blossomed, May whimpered and tried to raise her arms to protect herself._

_“Shut the fuck up. I don’t want to hear another word from you.”_

_“Found it,” the woman announced triumphantly as she reentered the kitchen, holding up a diamond necklace. “It was under the little thief’s pillow.”_

_May blinked in confusion as she cowered in fear. “I didn’t touch that necklace! I swear!”_

_The hand collided again with the other side of her face, and she felt a painful yank on the back of her head as the man buried his hand in her hair. “You lied to me?” he hissed at her, spittle flying across her face._

_May didn’t respond, afraid of another blow. Somewhere deep down, she knew she could fight this, but all memories of her training had left her consciousness, replaced by terror._

_She looked from the red-faced man to his wife, then her eyes settled on a teenage boy in the living room, snickering behind his hands._

_“Look at me when I’m talking to you!” the man shouted as he pulled on her hair and blew beer-laced breath into her face._

_May trembled without saying a word. He raised his hand, and she braced for another blow. Instead, he grabbed her wrist and tore off the beaded bracelet that she wore. Her heart broke as the beads clattered to the floor. She didn’t know how, but she instantly recognized the item as a friendship bracelet from her best friend two schools back._

_“Doesn’t feel so nice when someone takes your things, does it?” He snarled. “Pick them up.” He threw her to the ground. She whimpered in pain as her shoulder collided with the cabinet and her knees landed on a few of the beads._

_As she scrambled to pick up the remnants of the destroyed bracelet off the floor, the brute continued his tirade. “Listen to me, you. You are nothing. You will always be nothing. You’re not worth the money they pay us for putting up with you. First thing tomorrow, you’re going back to where you belong.”_

_“Dave,” the wife interjected in a worried voice. “We can’t send her back tomorrow. Her face.”_

_May felt a hand in her hair again as the man pulled her head back to examine her. “Look what you made me do, brat. Guess we’ll have to keep you for a little while longer. But when we finally get rid of you, you better not tell anyone that we touched a single hair on your pathetic little head, or else we’ll get you sent to juvie for being a thief. Got it?”_

_May whimpered a soft “Y- yes,” and the man released her hair. She continued to pick up the beads until she felt her body begin to shake. The touch, however, felt distant—urgent but gentler than the man’s abusive blows._

“Mel! Melinda! Wake up! What’s wrong?” Coulson murmured as he gently shook her.

May gasped and sat up.

“What’s wrong?” Phil repeated. “You were crying and calling out.”

May brushed her face with her hand. It was wet with tears.

Coulson sat up with difficulty and wrapped his arms around her waist. “Was it Bahrain again?” he asked softly.

She shook her head. “No, this was something… else.”

“Do you want to talk about it?”

May turned over. “It was just a dream.” She closed her eyes and pretended to sleep. After a while, Phil seemed to fall back asleep.

Horror settled in May’s stomach. No. It wasn’t just a dream, not if her theory about these strange nightly occurrences was accurate. 

Nobody deserved to go through that, least of all Daisy.

* * *

Meanwhile, Daisy was also tossing and turning in bed, though her dream was of a very different sort.

_Coulson was dressed in a dapper suit. His hair was much thicker than normal and fewer lines circled his eyes, but the same smile danced across his face._

_“Think we convinced them?” he whispered to her._

_She spoke in a louder voice, surprised by her own words. She sounded as if she were reciting a script. “Oh, hon, you say the silliest things, don’t you?” She laughed a breathy, fake laugh._

_Daisy felt herself pull Coulson into a room and then drape her arms over his shoulders. She swayed her hips and then stepped back to remove his jacket. His eyes widened._

_His mouth gaped open, dumbfounded._

_A strange mix of emotions stirred within Daisy. She felt something like concentration mixed with a little something else, a flutter in her stomach. She slouched and wriggled out of her dress, her body moving without her conscious control._

_Coulson’s mouth fell open even wider._

_“Come on, Charlie dearest,” Daisy cooed in a garish voice. She wrapped her arms back around him and began pushing him to the bed._

_“Uh…” Coulson sputtered, his hands fiddling with the back of her bra. Daisy felt her legs and back ache as she held herself on top of him, Coulson’s hands trying and failing repeatedly to open the clasps._

_After what felt like over two minutes, the bra loosened and––_

“What the hell?” Daisy exclaimed as she awakened with jolt. “Ew, no, no, no!” 

She shook herself to get rid of any lingering ghosts of the touch on her body. What a freakin’ weird dream. She had never thought of Coulson as anything but a kind mentor, a friend, and later, a father. 

“Oh gosh,” she groaned, feeling her face grow warm even though she was alone in her bedroom.

She considered the dream a little more. It seemed like they were on a mission, at least, or else why would she be talking so strangely or call him Charlie? Besides, she hoped that she didn’t sound half that ridiculous during foreplay.

_Foreplay._ She shuddered.

Daisy held her hands out in front of her and shook them, trying to rid herself once and for all of the remnants of her dream. When that didn’t work, she pulled herself out of bed and prepared to head up to the gym.

Maybe some good, old-fashion punching would do the trick. She hoped May would be up for a few extra rounds of sparring.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Note to any potential Cousy fan readers: No hate intended. It’s simply that in this particular universe, Daisy sees Coulson only as a father figure.
> 
> Thoughts welcome!


	4. Chapter 4

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> May and Daisy struggle to process their newfound knowledge.

Daisy didn’t get her wish for a hearty sparring session. May was distracted as they fought, dodging more than she blocked, and sending only half-hearted punches and kicks her way.

After ten minutes of off-balance sparring, Daisy had enough.

“OK, time out,” Daisy called, jumping backwards and placing her arms in a T formation. “Why aren’t you trying?”

May shrugged. She looked into Daisy’s frustrated eyes and resolved to pick up the pace. “Fine. Go.” May threw a punch that was easily deflected by Daisy.

As much as May tried to spar normally, the scene from her dream the night before would not leave her alone. The echo of the terror she had felt in the dream still ran through her veins. She couldn’t bring herself to hit her trainee-turned-partner, not so soon after seeing—after _feeling_ ––such a poignant glimpse into what Daisy had suffered as a child. 

After one particularly feeble punch, Daisy took another step back, scowling. “Out with it, May, because this fight is going nowhere fast.”

May didn’t answer, and a flash of concern crossed over Daisy’s face, replacing the scowl. “Is everything okay? Is Coulson getting worse again?”

May shook her head. “No, no, nothing like that.”

“So what’s up?”

“Nothing,” May denied.

“Nothing? I find that hard to believe, especially with the way you’re fighting. I bet Fitz could beat you in two minutes flat. Come on, tell me.”

“It’s nothing.”

“But––”

“Drop it, Daisy!” May growled. Daisy took another step backwards, bewildered.

“Fine,” Daisy muttered, her voice thick. “Guess there’s no point in continuing, then.” She snatched her towel off the edge of the mat and stormed into the locker room.

May considered following her for a split second and then thought better of it. Sighing, she dropped to a seated position on the mat, berating herself for the mess she had made.

May remained seated on the mat for twenty minutes until she saw Daisy emerge from the locker room, her hair wrapped in a towel. 

May jerked her head in Daisy’s direction. Daisy sighed and approached the mat.

“I’m sorry for… for earlier” May murmured as Daisy joined her on the mat. 

“You going to tell me what’s up?” Daisy asked stiffly.

May considered for a moment. “Okay. The last few days, I’ve been having some strange dreams. Well, I thought they were just dreams at first, but now… I don’t believe they are anymore.”

“Wait. This is all about some dreams you’re having?”

May shook her head. “I don’t think they’re dreams,” she repeated. “Not anymore.”

“So what are they if they aren’t dreams? Visions?” Daisy asked.

May breathed in. “Memories. Specifically… yours.”

Daisy let out a curt laugh. “Wha… _my_ memories? That’s the craziest thing I’ve ever heard… why do you think they’re memories, let alone mine?”

May looked down. “I didn’t, not at first. Not until you told the story about the woman who sent you back to St. Agnes on your birthday. Your story was an exact match the dream I’d had the night before, down to your pink nightgown and her red fingernails.” 

Daisy blinked at May in shock and then let out a nervous chuckle. “So, what were the other ones? My first blind date? That one charity Christmas party where I ate so many cookies I puked all over Santa Claus? Van life?” 

Daisy’s smile faded as she saw the look in May’s eyes.

“The first one wasn’t very clear. I just felt… scared, alone. I was… well, you were a small child, maybe even a toddler. I- you walked from a dark room out into a hallway. A woman scolded you and dragged you back to the room.”

Daisy let out a sigh. May noted a tinge of relief on Daisy’s face. “Sounds like classic St. Agnes. I don’t know what those nuns had against friggin’ nightlights. Was that all?”

May shook her head.

Daisy’s smile faded. “Oh.”

“Daisy, I’m so sorry––” May began.

“Just tell me. What did you see?”

“You sure? It’s… it wasn’t pleasant.”

“It’s my life, May. Seriously.”

May sucked in a breath. “I don’t know how old you were. Your foster father was angry because he thought you had stolen a necklace. He hit you. He knocked you to the floor. He… he was screaming, saying awful things to you.” 

Daisy lowered her head. “Is that… is that all?” she asked tentatively.

May’s breath caught in her throat. _All? Isn’t that enough?_ , she thought. Out loud, she simply replied, “Yes. For now, anyway. I… I don’t know how long these dreams will last.”

Daisy removed the towel from her head and began to comb through her damp hair with her fingers. “Sorry you had to see that,” she murmured. “Not my finest moment.”

May shook her head. “It wasn’t your fault. You didn’t deserve _anything_ those people did or said to you.” 

Daisy shrugged. “Sure.” She stared at her hair for a moment, before asking quietly, “Is that why you didn’t want to hit me?”

May nodded. “It was too soon.”

“I was eleven. It was nearly two decades ago.”

May shook her head. “Not for me. For me, it was last night.”

Daisy gave May a half smile. “Seriously. Don’t worry about me. I’m fine.”

“I know.” She searched in her mind, trying to find the words. She tried to explain why sparring felt so wrong after what she had seen in the dream, but the words would not come out.

“You don’t have to worry about me,” Daisy added. “You could never be anything like those people. Back then, I felt scared, trapped. On the mat with you, I feel strong. I feel safe.”

May nodded. “Okay.”

Daisy squeezed May’s hand. “Wish I knew how to stop these dreams, though. My memories are sucky enough in my own head. I don’t really want them pestering you, too. Not that my own dreams haven’t been––oh.” Her eyes widened. “Oh!” she repeated.

“Oh?”

“Did you ice skate as a child, by any chance?” Daisy asked.

May nodded. 

“Competitively? And did your dad come watch you?”

“Yeah, all the time. Did you dream that?”

Daisy nodded. “Oh, I am so freakin’ relieved. Oh my gosh. That makes _so_ much more sense.”

May raised her eyebrow. “What does?”

Daisy blushed. “I had a rather… risqué dream last night about, um, Coulson. I was seriously freaked out when I woke up.” She took in May’s look of horror and added, “We didn’t do anything, though! I—you—just called him ‘Charlie’ and then he took forever to take off my—your—bra and thank goodness I woke up after that.”

May chuckled. “Mission. Back in ’97. To this day he claims that he was taking so long to be a ‘gentleman.’”

Daisy laughed. “Suuure, Coulson. Has he redeemed himself since?”

“You really want to know?”

“On second thought, no. Don’t think I do,” Daisy shuddered.

“See anything else?” 

Daisy considered. “Well, yeah. The night before last, I had a dream I got jumped by four guys during a jog and fought them off. I think I remember saying that they were cadets?”

May gave a _hmph._ “Yeah. Some guys at the Academy didn’t take too nicely to a ‘little Asian girl’ beating them at every assessment and thought they would scare me away.”

“Did you report them?”

May snorted. “No. I made sure to give them an extra beat-down every time we sparred, and I’m pretty sure they all ended up getting themselves killed during the Hydra takeover of the Triskelion.”

“Misogynist _and_ racist. Team Hydra, I assume?”

May smirked. “Of course.”

“So, what do you think caused this, and more importantly, how can we stop it?” 

May thought for a moment, considering their last few days. “The only thing I can think of is that man at the police station, Pete. This could be his Inhuman power.”

Daisy considered. “It could be. He did touch both of us at the same time. Weird-ass gift, though.”

May nodded. “Although potentially useful.”

“For what, imaginary threesomes?”

“Blackmail. Or intelligence, perhaps, to learn secrets about the past of a person of interest.”

“Are you saying you think maybe Pete wasn’t being paranoid when he said someone was after him?” Daisy asked.

May shrugged. “It’s worth another conversation, at least.”

* * *

Daisy and May tried not to sound too triumphant when they told Mack about their newfound need to pay another visit to Mr. Michaelson. Any day off of inventory duty was a win in their book.

As Daisy searched for Pete Michaelson online, it became clear that while he had taken steps to try to conceal his whereabouts, his attempts were painfully amateur.

“If someone is really after him, we may be too late,” Daisy fretted as she poured over the results of her research. She felt guilt churn in her gut. She shouldn’t have been so quick to dismiss his concerns as paranoia. 

“Don’t do that,” May said, reading Daisy’s thoughts from her expression. “We had to make the best judgment we could at the time.”

Daisy nodded. She added a final address to the list of Pete’s possible whereabouts. “I hope it’s not too late.”

* * *

They found Pete at the second place they looked, a coffee shop called Aroma where the man often spent his afternoons, according to Daisy’s analysis.

“Wait,” May whispered, holding her arm out before Daisy entered Aroma. “We should follow him for a while.”

“How do you figure?”

“Let’s watch him. See if anyone else is doing the same.” 

Daisy nodded. They settled down at a table outside of the coffee shop. Every so often, they peaked at Pete through the glass. Pete typing on a laptop and sipping a large beverage, looking around furtively every few minutes. 

“He looks like he still thinks someone is following him,” Daisy commented.

“Well, someone _is_ following him. Us.”

“Right.” Daisy leaned back in her chair and waited. After a few minutes of quiet observation had passed, she spoke. “Look, May, about what you saw or what you may see… I don’t want you to think any differently about me. I’m still the same person I’ve always been. I don’t want you to, you know, pity me or whatever.”

May considered. “I can’t help it.” Daisy’s head fell, but May continued softly, “You’ve always been strong, but seeing that— _feeling that_ ––just reminds me of how much you’ve overcome. That’s not a bad thing.”

Daisy nodded and blinked tears out her eyes, grateful for the stylish sunglasses she was wearing as part of her cover. They were on a mission. She needed to stay focused.

May sucked in a breath, vacillating as to whether to say what was on her mind. Finally, she decided to speak. “And what you’ve seen of my life so far, those are hardly bad memories. I don’t know what you’ll see in the future but…” her voice faded off. She couldn’t finish her sentence.

Daisy shook her head. “Nothing I could see could change what I think about you. Nothing.” 

May was spared from having to give a response that she could barely produce when the door of the coffee shop swung open and Pete walked out, glancing from left to right before hurrying down the street.

May and Daisy pretended to be deep in conversation for a moment longer, and then watched as Pete rushed away. Minutes later, a large man exited the coffee shop, heading in Pete’s direction. May and Daisy followed behind both men at a safe distance.

Pete picked up his pace. He turned a corner and then changed his mind and headed down the street in the opposite direction.

The large man also changed directions. May and Daisy shared a look. “Maybe not so paranoid after all?” Daisy muttered.

“Time for an intervention?”

Daisy nodded.

The two separated. May took a shortcut to intercept Pete, while Daisy waited a moment and then rushed up to the suspicious character.

Daisy stopped in front of the man, a wide smile on her face. “Hi! I’m super lost. Could you help me, please?” She tossed her head back and gave her hips a little sway. She hoped that her trendy clothes and sunglasses would conceal her identity as Quake, the superhero seen every so often on the news.

“I’m in a hurry,” he grumbled in a slight accent. Daisy tried to place it. Maybe Eastern European?

“Oh, come on, please?” she asked sweetly. “It’ll only be a minute. You see, I’m in town for a bachelorette party for my friend Trish. She’s a total bridezilla, so I don’t want to be late to the club. She’d freak. You have no idea. So, you would totally make my week if you could just tell me where King Street is, please?”

“No,” the man growled, trying to step around her again.

“Well, you’re no help,” Daisy pouted. “What’s a girl supposed to do?”

“Get an Uber,” the man said over his shoulder as he hurried off. Daisy jumped in front of him again.

“I would, but, you know, those iPhone batteries suck, am I right?”

The man narrowed his eyes at her. “Wait. I know who you are.” He reached for his belt.

With a swift kick, Daisy knocked the pistol from his hand and quaked it five feet away from his reach. He threw a punch at her. She dodged and knocked his feet out from under him. 

She quaked him to the ground, not hard enough to injure but strong enough to keep him in place.

“Who sent you? Why are you following that man?”

He gave her a crooked smile. “What man?”

“Don’t play dumb. You people have been following him for a month. Tell me why.”

The man groaned at the continued pressure from Daisy’s quake-hold. “He has a use.”

“What––”

A bullet flashed by, barely missing Daisy’s ear. She glanced around, seeing no one. Another bullet flew by. She cursed under her breath. They were on a public, if deserted, street. Engaging a sniper would pose danger to civilians.

She let the man go and darted for cover. 

Evading the shooter and the man she had questioned, she reached the meet sight, an empty lot with a cloaked quinjet. The quinjet had been Fitz’s first project upon returning from space—it was specially modified to serve as a makeshift containment module with three-quarters the containing power of the original.

She leapt inside to find May and a trembling Pete already in the jet.

“Took you long enough,” May smirked.

“Yeah, yeah,” Daisy panted. “Let’s get this bird in the air, shall we?”


	5. Chapter 5

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> The team gets closer to figuring out how the dreams work and who is after the Inhuman Pete. May and Daisy have dreams about pivotal moments in the other’s life.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Tags updated and rating changed from teen to mature to better reflect the content of prior chapters, not upcoming chapters.

Pete wasn’t happy to be taken to SHIELD, but he gradually relaxed as May and Daisy explained the situation to him.

“From what we know so far, you were right that someone was following you. I’m not sure it was the CIA, though,” Daisy said. “Is there any reason why you think the CIA are the ones following you?”

Pete stared at his fingers. “I mean, when you think spies, you think CIA, right? Who else could it be?”

“We need to look into it some more,” Daisy responded. “I’m sorry we don’t have more answers right now, Pete, but we’ll try to keep you in the loop as much as possible so you can go home safe soon. Okay?” 

Pete nodded slowly. “Alright. But why do you think these people are after me? Do you think it has something to do with being a, a… an Inhuman, like you said?”

“Possibly. What do you remember about your life after terrigenesis, after the rock, I mean?” 

Pete considered. “Well, ma’am, I was terrified. I didn’t know what had happened, but I didn’t want people to think I was crazy. I’m a graphic designer, and I work from home, so I don’t think I went out for a three or four days. Once my food ran out, I went to the grocery store and stocked up. After that, I wouldn’t go out much, but when I did, I’d always see people that seemed like they were watching me, or that I would see at the store and then on the road heading to my house. At first I thought nothing of it, but then it happened more and more often. It was awful.”

Daisy nodded. “Where else did you go? Other than the grocery store and Aroma?”

Pete shook his head. “Nowhere else. Oh, except church. Every Sunday morning and Wednesday night.”

“And you’re sure that nothing strange has been happening in you or around you since you were encased in the rock? No new sensations or abilities? Nobody has commented that you’ve changed in some way?”

Pete looked bewildered. “Nothing. Should something be different?”

“Well, usually terrigenesis comes with physical changes or new abilities. You should consider yourself lucky, though. Oftentimes new Inhumans suffer a lot as they try to adapt.”

“Yeah, lucky,” Pete said with gloomy sarcasm. “Being followed wherever I go and forced to escape to who knows where.”

“I’m sorry, Pete. I don’t want to downplay what you’ve gone through.”

Pete sighed. “Sorry for losing my frustration, ma’am. It’s just confusing, you know.”

“I do. So, other than the people following you, there’s been nothing weird going on around you?”

Pete shook his head, then his eyes widened. “Well, just the visions. But we figured that was just the spirit moving.”

Daisy’s pulse quickened. “Visions?”

“Yes, ma’am. It sure has caused a stir at church. Those who faithfully attend Wednesday and Sunday services have started testifying that God has been sending them visions in the night. It’s really inspired revival in the church. A lot of people are even bringing guests, foreigners, people who may never even have set foot in a church.” His eyes shone, but then a frown developed on his face. “Is that what happened to me? Am I the cause of those visions?”

Daisy glanced back at May, who was in the pilot’s seat of the quinjet. “It’s possible. At your church, do people normally touch hands?”

“Yes, ma’am. We greet each other with handshakes and then we hold hands in a circle for closing prayer.”

“And as more and more people talked about these visions, the foreigners started coming?”

Pete nodded. “That’s good though, isn’t it?”

Daisy thought back to the accented man she had nearly apprehended hours before. “It depends on their motives. Pete, do you remember ever holding the hands of some of those visitors during prayer?”

“Several times. I like to make guests feel welcome.”

* * *

Simmons, Mack, Daisy, and May huddled outside the med bay.

“They’ve been keeping track of him. It seems like they come to his church to touch his hands and test his powers, and then keep a watch on him to make sure they know where he is at all times. I don’t know who ‘they’ are exactly except they seem to be foreigners, maybe Eastern European if the guy I encountered is any indication.”

Daisy let out a sigh of frustration. She had been so close to capturing the spy and finding out who he worked for. Now, Pete was safe, but they had little information about the operation that was out to “use” him.

Mack nodded. “So, Daisy and May, you both have been getting each other’s dreams?” he asked.

“More like her memories,” Daisy responded. May nodded in agreement. “They only happen when we’re asleep, but they don’t feel like dreams at all. They feel far more real.”

“And you’ve confirmed that they are accurate? That they are, in fact, true memories?” Jemma inquired.

“As far as we can tell, yes,” May said, glancing at Daisy. “Do you have any idea why we’re getting them or how to stop them?”

“Well, the only abnormal physical reading I picked up from Pete when I examined him is that his hands seem to be emitting odd, high-frequency waves, similar to those our brains produce when we dream. Though I don’t have the slightest idea what creates the neural connection between the two people he touches nor how to stop it.”

“What if we touch him again?” May asked.

Jemma considered. “It could take the dreams away, or it could reinforce them. There’s really no way to tell. Is there any rush to get rid of them?”

May and Daisy shared a knowing look. “Both of our pasts can be kind of difficult to relive at times,” Daisy said softly.

“I see,” Jemma responded with an caring smile. “Hm, let’s see… Is there any kind of order to the dreams?”

“Chronological, I think,” May answered. “I saw Daisy’s life as a toddler and then at seven and then at eleven.”

Daisy nodded her agreement. “In my first dream, you were a child. In the second dream, you were in the Academy, and you were already an agent by the third.”

“Interesting,” Simmons mused. “So you’re saying that you’ve both had three dreams, but May, all your dreams were childhood memories of Daisy, whereas May is already an adult in your dreams, Daisy?”

“We hadn’t stopped to think about it, but yeah, that’s right,” Daisy said.

“That makes me think that the dreams will eventually terminate in the present, or something close to it, and that you will both have the same number of dreams,” Jemma theorized. “May, you’re older, so Daisy’s dreams of your life are jumping over longer time periods. It’s a theory, at least.”

“Sounds reasonable,” Mack chimed in. “Okay. Jemma, you look after Pete. Make sure he doesn’t get too freaked out, and run any additional tests you think may be helpful. Daisy, May, try to get to the bottom of who’s following Mr. Michaelson.” He studied them intently. “And take good care of each other, okay?”

* * *

By the time night fell, Daisy was fuming in frustration. She had hacked security footage but only had managed to capture blurry or partial images of the pursuers faces. Her facial recognition algorithm had turned up a half a dozen “matches” but none claimed more than 60% accuracy. She was pretty sure “Benjamin Schmitt,” a plumber from Kansas, and “Parker Tomasio,” an accountant from Iowa, were not the foreign spies they were seeking, but who could tell?

She began a hack on several Eastern European intelligence services, hoping to find a classified mission intended on using Inhumans as assets, but she was only able to get into Belarus’ before 10:30 PM, and even then, she could not read Cyrillic. A basic search for the word Сверхлюд––“Inhuman”, the one word she made sure she knew in Russian—yielded far too much content for her to get through in one night, and that was just in Belarus. Not to mention she didn’t know a single one of the many Eastern European languages.

“Wish Bobbi were here,” she muttered. 

She wished Bobbi were there for far more reasons than just translation purposes, but there was no point in getting too far into those thoughts late at night.

As Daisy headed to bed, she passed May in the hallway. Before she could think, she wrapped her arms around May. 

“What’s that for?” May asked as Daisy ended the hug.

“Just… I wanted to,” Daisy mumbled. “Good night.” May gave her a soft smile, and they headed to their respective quarters.

* * *

May’s trepidation did not overpower her exhaustion that night. She slipped into sleep mere minutes after lying down in bed.

_“Quit it, Miles!” May snapped._

_She was bent over a computer, staring at a row of letters and symbols. May didn’t understand any of it, but her fingers did. They raced over the keyboard. She felt determined, excited—and also extremely peeved._

_“Quit what?” Miles asked innocently, his hands roving under May’s shirt. He started planting tiny kisses along her neck and jawline._

_“Seriously, stop,” she said firmly. “This is important. I want to concentrate.”_

_“Fine.” The young man stood up abruptly. “Good luck. We both know it’s a long shot.”_

_Irritation raced through her. “No it’s not. I’m just as good a hacker as you, and you’ve been part of the Rising Tide for a year. What, you think I’m not going to cut it?”_

_“Babe, you’re a 19-year-old chick with a tenth-grade education. You’re good, don’t get me wrong, but the RT looks for people with experience and style.”_

_“Nobody calls it that,” she said sharply, ignoring the condescension. “You’re my contact, and once I beat your time by an hour, they’ll have no choice to let me in. I’ll be a great asset.”_

_“That’s right, you do have a great ass,” he purred, lowering his roving hands._

_“Quit! If I don’t get in, it better not be because you can’t keep your hands to yourself for two seconds,” she hissed._

_“Fine. I’ll leave you to it,” Miles muttered. He turned and walked out the door. She was left alone in Miles’ squalid apartment’s tiny bedroom. The smell of unwashed sheets and old potato chips filled the room, but she didn’t let the uncleanliness of her surroundings distract her. She’d been in worse._

_She heard a loud blast from the equally dingy living room outside the door. Miles had started playing a shooter video game at full volume._

_“Jackass,” May muttered as her fingers continued to fly over the keyboard._

_After what felt like minutes but what she somehow knew was much longer, a logo began to rotate on her screen with a date and a time._

_“Yes!” she exclaimed._

_Miles sauntered into the room. “What?”_

_She beamed at him, her chest swelling with pride. She had been dreaming of this moment for so long--the chance to be a part of a worldwide team with an important mission and access to resources to aid her in her search. “Meet the newest member of the Rising Tide.”_

_“Hm. Look at you,” Miles muttered before grabbing a half opened bag of chips and returning to his game._

This time, May awoke more gradually. She lay in bed for a moment contemplating the dream. “What an asshole,” she muttered. She glanced at Phil. He remained fast asleep.

She wished she had had the foresight to punch Miles Lydin in the face all those years ago when they had met. He certainly deserved it.

Meanwhile, Daisy found herself in a world that more closely resembled the content of Miles’ video game than a young hacker’s bedroom.

_The walls were the color of sand and worn rock. Adrenaline rushed through her body. This was important. No, this was critical._

_She had lives to save, and time was running short._

_A man stepped up to attack her, and Daisy choked him until he fell to the ground._

_She put a hand to her coms. “Coulson, do you read?” There was no response. “Damn,” she muttered._

_She snuck through the building, cutting down an enemy combatant. Then, she found one of her own people._

_“Agent Hart. Hart. It’s Agent May. We need to go now,” she urged him._

_“It’s dangerous out there,” he muttered, his voice strange and flat._

_“Are you okay?” Daisy asked, her heart racing._

_“No. I need your pain,” he stated in the same, flat voice. She tried to restrain him, tried to reason with him, but the room was soon filled with more agents, all repeating the same haunting phrase._

_“I need your pain.”_

_When reason failed, she rushed from the room, locking the agents in with a plank and a rope. A bullet flew through the door, and she knew what she had to do._

_She had to take down the powered woman. It was the only way._

_Daisy fought her way down the stairs before meeting the powered woman. The woman was strong, muttering in a way that sent a chill up Daisy’s spine._

_After the powered woman threw her across the room, she pulled herself to her knees, her whole body aching in agony. She crawled across the room to a corner where she saw a small girl hiding. “Stay back, honey, I’ll get you out of here. It’s going to be alright,” she told the child._

_She stood up, preparing for the fight. She exchanged words with the powered woman and the fight recommenced. Her body protested with every blow. Then, her world exploded in agony as a bullet blasted through her thigh._

_Finally, after a long fight, she managed to get ahold of a lamp stand and plunge it through the woman’s gut. The woman fell._

_The assault did not cease, however. Her own agents kept advancing on her. Daisy begged them to stop, but they just kept coming._

_Desperation rushed through her body._

_Then, her blood turned to ice as she saw the child striding across the room like a ghost, bending the men’s will by merely lifting her hand._

_“You killed mother. And now there’s so much pain,” the girl said. “I like all their pain.” Her deadpan expression dropped, replaced by that of a terrified child. “I’m scared. I want to leave. Please, take my hand,” the child begged._

_Daisy saw her agents walking closer and closer. “No,” she pleaded. “Not them. Let them go. We can fix you. We can help. Just, don’t.”_

_“Take my hand. Give me your pain. I need a new mother… take my hand,” the girl said sweetly._

_“Stop,” Daisy pleaded. “Just put your hand down and stop.”_

_Desperation shot through her. She begged the universe to show her a way out— _any_ way out, except for that one. Then, her hand settled on her gun on the floor behind her. No. There was only one option, only one way for all these innocent people to get out alive. She had to do it._

_“Everything’s going to be alright,” she murmured._

_She raised the gun and fired one shot. The bullet seemed to tear through her very soul, leaving only hollowness behind._

Daisy awoke gasping for air, tears streaming down her face. 

“Bahrain,” she whispered, burying her face in her hands. “That was Bahrain.”

She remembered her own accusation, all those years ago. “I heard about what happened to that little girl in Bahrain,” she had declared to May in anger, telling her that she was dangerous with such self-righteousness in her voice.

She felt like she was going to be sick. 

A soft clattering sounded from her bedside table. She turned and saw her water bottle lightly shaking. Daisy took a deep breath, and the vibrations stopped.

Daisy looked at the clock. 4:30 AM. May would be expecting her for their workout in a half an hour. She wiped her eyes and got dressed.

* * *

The moment that May entered the gym, Daisy rushed up to her and wrapped her arms around her body. 

“I am so, so sorry, May. You did what you had to do. It wasn’t your fault. You did what you had to do,” Daisy murmured, tears slipping down her face onto May’s shoulders.

May nodded into Daisy’s shoulder, pulling the younger woman deeper into the hug. She didn’t ask what Daisy was referring to. She knew.


	6. Chapter 6

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> The team takes the final steps in concluding the mission into who is following Pete.

“Ugh, this is pointless!” Daisy exclaimed in frustration, slamming her hands onto the table at either side of her computer.

“Hey, we’ll get there. Don’t worry about it,” Piper reassured her. To Daisy and May’s surprise, Piper could read Cyrillic, was proficient in Russian, and had a working knowledge of similar languages–– _ops academy really pushed it in my day,_ Piper explained casually––and so she had been helping Daisy search the hacked Eastern European intelligence files.

“Yeah, but how many times do I have to get groped by Daisy’s old boyfriends before we do?” May said dryly.

Piper grinned. “Point taken.”

They hadn’t told Piper or anyone else about the content of most of the dreams, but Daisy thought that particular account—in hindsight—was funny and had shared it with Piper as they worked. Of course, neither Piper nor May was pleased with Miles’ lack of respect for the word “no,” but Daisy enjoyed gloating about how fast she could hack even under adverse circumstances.

May leaned back in her chair, idly flipping a knife. “The problem is that just about any country’s intelligence service could potentially use an asset like Pete. And just because the man Daisy intercepted seemed to be Eastern European doesn’t mean that he worked for a government in that region.”

“Maybe we should carry out an operation instead, use Pete as bait and try to lure them in,” Piper suggested.

Daisy shook her head. “He was freaked out enough as it is. I doubt it would work well with the reputation Mack is trying to build for SHIELD. Besides, I wouldn’t want to put him at risk in that way. Of course, we might have to do it to ensure his future safety, but only if it’s the last option.” She hit a button, finishing her hack of the Ukrainian intelligence service’s files.

She switched seats with Piper who began to execute her search functions.

As Piper worked, May and Daisy talked quietly in the background.

“I can’t believe you dated that jackass for so long,” May murmured. 

Daisy grimaced. “Thanks for the vote of confidence.”

“You know what I mean, Daisy. From what I saw, he didn’t respect you at all.” 

Daisy shrugged. “I mean, back then, nobody did. I was used to it. I was a high school dropout and a runaway foster kid. I dunno. I was just happy for someone who would put up with me and who at least liked _some_ things about me. He got better over the years too, once I really started making waves at the Rising Tide and he grew more committed to the cause.”

“Yeah, so committed that he sold a guy out for a million bucks,” May said sarcastically.

“True,” Daisy conceded.

“Found something!” Piper announced triumphantly. “It’s in Ukrainian so I’ll be a little slow at translating, but I should be able to make it out.” May and Daisy moved back to the computer at either sides of Piper.

“ _Operation Lullaby,_ ” Piper read slowly as she translated laboriously. “Stupid name, but oh well. _Classification: Top Secret. Observe Inhuman—_ such a weird word to read in another language— _target Peter Albert Michaelson in Hartford, Connecticut, especially at Sheep_ ––wait, I mean, lamb–– _Lamb of God Church to…_ ” Piper struggled with a word, “uh, something like ‘ascertain’ _value for targeting Russian intelligence officers and politicians. Lead agent: Hawk._ Sounds like aliases. _Support agents: White Doe…_ no wait, White Buck, that’s masculine, _Tiger, Elephant, and…_ wait, gotta Google it… _Stingray._ ”

“That’s the one. Fantastic. Thanks, Piper.” 

“Aye aye, Captain,” Piper grinned.

“So, if we can find the Ukrainian spy menagerie, we can at least improve his safety temporarily,” Daisy brainstormed. “But they know about him, which could prove dangerous even if we defeat this particular cell.” Daisy sighed. “In the end, his only option may be for Mack to work out a deal with WITSEC for witness protection.”

“Gosh, poor guy,” Piper murmured.

“Yeah, or diplomacy with the Ukrainian government, some kind of promise of protection. The U.S. has a relatively strong relationship with them,” Daisy said thoughtfully. “I’ll talk to him about it.” 

“In the meantime, has Simmons found a way to cure you two of your dream-memory telepathy?” Piper queried. 

“No,” Daisy responded. “She’s hoping that it will eventually just stop on its own.”

“And what do you guys want?” Piper asked.

“Well, obviously some sleep would be nice,” Daisy muttered.

Deep down, though, she felt something shift. Daisy wanted the dreams to end, sure—the terror and guilt she had felt from May’s experience in Bahrain still echoed in her bones, and she felt a little exposed knowing that May had seen snippets of the most difficult moments of her life.

At the same time, she had never felt so completely _known_. Subjects that she and May had skated around for years could now be openly discussed, and though May had initially reacted to the hardest memories with horror, their relationship had quickly slipped back into the old ease, just a little warmer, a little closer.

As it was turning out, the light that was being shone into her dark corners did not make her unlovable as she had so often feared.

* * *

“You take the one on the left, I’ll take the one on the right,” May indicated to Daisy. Davis waited in an alley in the cloaked quinjet.

“Got it.”

They were perched on a rooftop, sniper Icers placed strategically on the ledge. They had been waiting for two hours. Two of the spies—the ringleader Hawk and one of his underlings, Stingray—had angrily exited the building and were rushing down the street.

“On my count,” May whispered. “One, two, three… fire.”

They both hit their mark, and the two men dropped to the ground, stunned.

“That was easy,” Daisy muttered. They quickly gathered their Icers and rushed down the stairs, pulling the men into the alley before pedestrians could see their unconscious forms. As they loaded the unconscious bodies onto the quinjet, they radioed YoYo and Piper. The other women’s mission to capture the other three Ukrainian agents had been a success.

“All in a day’s work,” Daisy grunted as she finished shifting the spy in her hands into place.

* * *

“I spoke to the State Department. They would prefer to negotiate a deal with the Ukrainians rather than keep these spies detained,” Mack explained to the team.

“What does that mean for me?” Pete asked nervously.

“For now, it would be safer if you stay with us,” Mack explained. “The U.S. government will need to make it clear that American Inhumans are not potential assents for foreign governments to harvest. Even so, there’s always a risk when you go back home. We will keep an eye on you. WITSEC may be open to arranging a protection deal for you, but you would have to leave your old identity. It would be the nuclear option.”

Pete shook his head. “I like my life, sir. I don’t have many friends, but those I do have are important to me. I can’t leave my community.”

Mack nodded his understanding. “Okay. In that case, you should stay here until we get the all clear, and then we’ll try to do whatever we can to get you back to your normal life.”

Pete smiled. “Thank you, all of you. For the longest time, everyone thought I was crazy. Heck, even I thought I was crazy sometimes.”

Daisy leaned forward and shook his hand. “You’re lucky, really. You have a relatively benign power. It’s actually kind of beautiful. At the same time, I would be careful with touching two people at the same time from now on. It may draw undue attention, like what happened here, and even if it doesn’t, it could really freak people out.”

“Noted,” Pete said with a smile. “Thank you.”


	7. Chapter 7

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> May and Daisy have their final dreams.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> TW: Canonical Suicidal Thoughts

After the meeting, Daisy and May headed back to the residential level, both of them yawning.

“Want to do tai chi tomorrow rather than sparring?” May asked.

“Gosh, yes.” Daisy sighed. “This was hardly our most difficult mission, but these nights have really been tiring me out.”

“Me too,” May agreed.

“Well, good night!” Daisy called. She hesitated, then hugged May again. “I hope my memories don’t cause you too many problems tonight.”

“Same,” May murmured.

* * *

As May lay down next to Phil, she thought he was asleep. She was surprised when she heard him murmur, “Mel?”

“Yeah?”

“You guys did good.” He stretched and opened his eyes. “Mack’s a better politician than I’ll ever be. Turns out you guys didn’t need me at all.”

May shook her head and leaned down to kiss Phil gently. “We always need you. And you are right where you need to be.”

“Is Daisy holding up okay?” Phil asked. He saw Daisy often enough, but he didn’t entirely trust Daisy’s cheerful attitude towards him every time they spoke. He knew that deep down, Daisy was still afraid she’d lose him at any moment. 

“She’s wonderful,” May murmured, and she meant it in all the ways.

Phil and Melinda curled up together, and May easily drifted off to sleep.

_May stood outside in the dark. Her body felt strange. Energy pulsed through it, a deep rumble that resonated in her bones. She felt power swirling from her shoulders to her palms. Beneath the power lay a dull ache in her limbs._

_The ache in her heart was even worse._

_May barely had a moment to take in the new sensations when she heard her own voice. “You don’t get to decide who deserves to die,” she declared._

_“I’m not the one decides.”_

_Robbie Reyes’ skin peeled away, replaced by the glow of fire and empty sockets locked in a dead stare. May had seen the Ghost Rider before, but his appearance had never provoked the shock and horror that she felt in the moment._

_Ghost Rider tore a pipe off a wrecked car. Within milliseconds, fire was licking the pipe. May felt the power growing inside her, the rumbling in her bones accumulating like a wave approaching the shore. She let out a blast towards her flamed opponent, but he easily avoided it._

_With a mere punch to her stomach, the Ghost Rider had May on the ground. Almost lazily, he reached over and knocked over a metal supply shelf. She caught it with blasts from her hands and held it aloft, feeling the ache grow ever stronger in her forearms._

_The dead eyes approached her. The demon bent down to examine her._

_The temptation to end it, to stop holding up the shelf above her, was strong, but her innate sense of survival kept the heavy metal aloft. But she was tired, and words come easier than action._

_“Do it,” she whispered. “I deserve it.”_

_At that moment, her brain lit up in a sudden flash of faces and memories, blurred and overlapping. Those she was leaving––Coulson, May, the rest of the team—and those she would soon meet again—her parents, Trip, Lincoln…_

_“Do it,” she insisted as the faces faded._

_The fiery figure turned and walked away. She let the shelves crash and rolled out of the way. Yet again, her traitorous body forced her to survive even those her voice spoke other words._

_She sat on the concrete, cradling her aching arms. After a few moments, the world began to shake, though she didn’t feel the same sense of power as before when she had generated the quakes. Suddenly, a large crash sounded.  
_

“Whoops!” Phil exclaimed, surveying the broken lamp beside him.

“Wha… what’s wrong,” May murmured as she jolted up, prepared to defend herself and Phil against an attack. She glanced around the room and noticed that it was shaking.

“Something’s up with Daisy, I think,” Phil said. “I tried to get up too quickly and lost my balance and…” he gestured at the lamp.

“I’ll go,” May said.

* * *

Daisy too had fallen asleep quickly, tired from the day’s events. 

_The next thing Daisy knew, she was in a neat waiting room with beige walls. Everything seemed clean and put together, but her heart felt raw. Fear gripped her heart—not the adrenaline-laced fear she felt on missions but something calmer, deeper… more painful._

_It was the fear of loss, and it was all-consuming._

_Daisy glanced around the room and saw baby-faced members of her team looking utterly defeated. Fitz had his face buried in his hands. Jemma had her head bowed and her eyes squeezed shut as if to keep the tears from falling. Coulson paced from side to side. Even Ward looked forlorn, clutching a coffee mug in his hand but not taking a single sip._

_What had happened that was so tragic?_

_A woman walked out in turquoise scrubs, and Daisy turned to face her. The entire team gathered around the doctor._

_“How is she?” Coulson asked._

_After a second that seemed to last a lifetime, the doctor responded. “Not good.” She continued to talk, to describe the injuries and the failed attempt at surgery, but Daisy’s thoughts had become blurred as she tried to comprehend what was happening._

_She was jolted back to reality when she heard Coulson ask, “You’re saying there’s nothing to be done?”_

_The doctor’s eyes filled with empathy. “I’m saying you need to call her family and get them here as soon as possible.”_

_The silence of the unspoken hovered over the room like a dense fog. After a moment, Coulson spoke. “We’re her family.”_

_“In that case, I’m very sorry,” the doctor said after she looked around the room._

_Daisy’s whole body had turned to ice in shock. She couldn’t accept it, couldn’t believe it—but at the same time, the reality of what was happening had enveloped her. The room was suffocating. She had to do something._

_She charged from the room and back to the Bus. The world around her was a blur of movement and noise. She remained focused on her target._

_She entered the interrogation room of the Bus. Quinn, the bastard, said something snarky but she didn’t hear it as she charged forward and slammed his forehead to the metal table and then threw him from his chair._

_“But… you can’t!” Quinn protested._

_Red-hot fury pierced her body. “Why? Because you’re defenseless? Like she was?” She punched and she punched and she punched until Coulson and Ward burst in the room and called her out._

_Once the three of them were alone, she couldn’t stop the words that came bursting out. “He deserves to die. Not her!” Daisy heard Coulson say something in response, but his words were growing fainter and fainter as she felt hands on her body._

“Daisy!”

Daisy’s eyes shot open, and she immediately met May’s intense gaze. Daisy felt the room shaking and realized her powers much have been acting up during the dream. She took a deep breath and the shaking stopped.

“Sorry,” she muttered, embarrassed. Losing control of her powers always felt a little bit like when she was a little girl and she would wet the bed—awkward and shameful. “Hope I didn’t break too much.”

May shook her head. “We know better to store breakable things on the edge of the counters anyway and everything in the lab is secured.”

“Good,” Daisy mumbled. 

May sat on the side of the bed and waited for Daisy to say something. When Daisy didn’t say anything but just looked at her, May began to feel uncomfortable. “What did you see?”

“I, um…” A tear dripped down Daisy’s cheek. “The hospital,” she whispered. “After Quinn shot me. I… I had no idea.”

“Oh.” May watched Daisy for a moment. “And did you also see––”

“Yes,” Daisy interjected. “You… I mean, even then?” 

May nodded. 

“I had screwed up so much back then, though,” Daisy murmured. “I mean, not that I haven’t majorly screwed up since, but… I mean, I knew what you all went through to save me, but I didn’t fully understand why until now.”

She remembered Coulson’s words— _we’re her family_ —and the heartbreak and fury that had seized her own soul as she—as May—had beaten Quinn.

May sucked in a breath. “It broke us all to see you dying. It… it broke me.”

Daisy nodded. “You were so angry when you were punching Quinn.”

“He was a scumbag anyway, but then… he had done the unforgivable,” May murmured.

“Just so you know, I will happily beat up a rich, murderous scumbag for you any day,” Daisy joked thickly. “Return the favor.”

May smiled, though her grin did not entirely reach her eyes. “I’ll count on it.”

They sat in silence for a moment. “It’s so different, seeing it,” Daisy murmured. “ _Experiencing_ it. I knew you all cared, but then to actually feel it…”

“Your life, _you_ mean a lot to us,” May whispered. She couldn’t stop thinking about the moment of Daisy’s life that she had just experienced. She was there, of course, when Daisy tried to take on all the Watchdogs in the prison alone. In her fear, hadn’t she even declared that Daisy was suicidal? But she had never known how correct she actually was, and that fact scared her.

Daisy noted the change in May. “What’s wrong? What did you see?”

“Your fight with the Ghost Rider in the auto salvage. And… and how it ended.”

“Oh.” Daisy looked at her hands. After a moment, she quietly added, “Just know I haven’t felt like that in a long time, okay?”

May nodded. “Still… you mean more to us than you could ever know.”

Daisy bit her lip. “After what I saw… I think I know.”

* * *

With the mission over, Mack assigned the team to inventory again the next day.

“Really?” Daisy complained through a yawn. “I feel like May and I should at least get a day off… if you count the dreams, which are totally mission related by the way, we’ve been working days and nights.”

Mack smiled. “Day off for everyone tomorrow. Plus, the sooner we get this inventory done, the sooner we can move to our brand new, completely aboveground location.”

“I’ll toast to that,” Piper declared, raising her cup of coffee. “If anything could make inventory bearable, it’s the promise of some nice fresh air soon.”

“Mm, yes.” Fitz said with a faraway look. “Given that I spent several of the last months locked in a tiny cell in a secret prison, I very much look forward to air.”

“I don’t mind inventory,” YoYo grumbled, though a grin flickered on her lips. “The problem is that all of you are sooo slow.”

“You know, I don’t much care how slow it is, or how boring it is, or even how much fresh air there is in here. We’re all alive, and we’re working together. That’s what counts, right?” Jemma stated.

“Agreed,” the team echoed.

* * *

After a surprisingly fun day of inventory due to the addition of beer and the discovery of a box of old ridiculous seventies outfits, the team went their separate ways. May and Daisy parted with a nod, each silently understanding the other’s unspoken words.

* * *

May awoke gradually at 7:00 AM. She stretched and savored the extra hours of sleep… deep, uninterrupted sleep.

Dreamless sleep.

She dressed and walked out to the common room to sip a cup of tea, cherishing the moments to herself before the other agents awoke and filled the common room with a buzz of activity and excitement about their day off. 

_So it’s over then_ , May thought as she nursed her tea. No more dreams. No more nightmares of tragedies that were all too true.

No more strange psychic connection with Daisy.

She wouldn’t miss those dreams, nor the heavy feeling in her stomach when she awoke each morning to the knowledge that she had dreamt Daisy’s reality. Still, she couldn’t bring herself to regret the experience.

“Mind if I join you?” May looked up to see Daisy approach her, a mug of coffee in her hand. 

May nodded.

“Did you have a dream last night?” 

May shook her head. “You?”

“Yeah, but I doubt it was your memory, unless you’ve ever had a 70s style disco party with Kree warriors and a Rottweiler who somehow knew how to fly a miniature quinjet?”

May snorted. 

“Thought not,” Daisy laughed. 

They sipped their drinks in silence. After a moment, Daisy spoke. “You know, I’m not going to miss those dreams, but if I had to switch memories with someone, there’s no one I would rather it have happened with than you.”

“Neither of our memories were particularly pretty,” May muttered, feeling guilty for what Daisy had seen.

“Yeah,” Daisy agreed. “I mean, I had to see you flirt with Coulson! I’m scarred, May, _scarred_.” 

May rolled her eyes.

“Anyway, those memories… they’re part of what made us who we are,” Daisy added quietly.

May nodded. “And now it’s time to make new, better memories.”

Daisy smiled, remembering that week’s birthday party. “I have absolutely no doubt that we will.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> That's all, folks. Thanks for reading!

**Author's Note:**

> Have a wonderful 2019 everyone! 'Tis the year of season 6.


End file.
